Awkward Grace
by ChibiRaccoon
Summary: 'Falling in love with your best friend is never easy.' LukexAkari chapter fic. A story of the path two best friends take when their true feelings begin to shine through. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Rated T but subject to change.
1. Best Friend

Title: Awkward Grace

Pairing(s): Akari/Luke, All other Canon pairings for Tree of Tranquility

Genre: Romance/General

Status: Chapter Fic~ IN-PROGRESS

Rating: T+ (subject to change)

Author: ChibiRaccoon

Summary: Falling in Love with your Best Friend is never Easy.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or any of Harvest Moon belong to me. That's Natsume's property.

_~AWKWARD GRACE~_

_Chapter 1: Best Friends_

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...

...

The brunette buried her face into her green plaid pillow in futile attempt to block out the morning beams that filtered through the olive-trim curtains. Chickens crowed their morning greetings from the coop, spring songbirds chirping gratitude to the early sun. The sounds of a new day on Waffle Island could be heard in the calm of the small house.

The silence was soon destroyed however by the alarm on the bedside table as it began to scream. Akari Hanazono's mussed head shot up with a shriek, revealing bleary eyes and rumpled pj's.

"SHUT-UP!" She screeched at the object, taking it in hand and hurling it across the room. It gave one last meek shriek before quieting.

"Stupid alarm." Akari grumbled, slipping her feet to the floor. Scratching her head, she stretched her body, clad in chick print tank and shorts before heading for the kitchen.

Akari lived in her small house alone, running a farm. She had arrived in Waffle Island only two months ago when she had decided to leave the city she had grown up in. Since the third day of Spring, she had been working hard to make the contemptible forsaken land into a beautiful rich field of crops and livestock. Though it had been a rough start, that included many hungry nights, Akari was able to get on her feet and start making a meager profit from crops and chickens.

Her still-sleepy form placed a large pot of water on the stove and set it to boil. Though the town had waterheaters for homes, the Caramel River District that Akari's home resided in had been uninhabited before her appearence and so a water heater was still a ways away for her. Instead she would boil water for the tub that sat in the corner of the house with a white curtain adorned with green and yellow leaves around it.

Akari took a quick bath, silently wishing she could have a shower with steaming water instead. As she towel-dryed her short hair, she smiled. She knew that if she wanted to take a shower she could just run up the hill to Bagel Carpentry. In the small time she'd been here, she had become good friends with the three residents there.

Her face grew warm at the thought of the carpenters apprentice and she shook her hid to rid herself of any thoughts of him.

With rucksack on back, boots on her feet, and dressed simply in blue t-shirt and denim shorts, Akari set out to do her chores for the morning.

The four chickens she owned were energetic that morning. She collected their eggs with pleasure before setting them out in the pasture for the day. Her potato plants were flourshing she noticed as she watered them. Only another day or so before harvesting which would be good for the farm. With this harvests profits she would have enough saved to purchase a cow calf. Milk was worth a lot more than eggs.

Once finished with her daily routine, Akari grabbed her axe from where it had been stuck headfirst in the woodpile. Though she told herself she was going tree chopping for lumber, she knew she couldn't really fool herself from the true reason. (end chap with this.)

As she headed for the Ganache Mine District, Akari let her gaze sweep over the view of the Caramel River District.

It really was a lovely sight. The grass grew high but even in a vibrant verridean. Logs and boulders littered the land in a myriad of places, yet added charm. Caramel River cut through the plain, splitting it in two as it gently flowed into ocean. Rabbits could be seen hopping through tall weeds, birds sweeping in for water. The sun shimmered brightly today, gilding all that it reached. Akari smiled as she walked up the path to the carpenters.

When the yard came into view, she saw sandy hair atop a pale face. Akari waved to Bo, the younger of the apprentices, as he gathered long pieces of wood together. The young boy smiled from beneath a peppering of freckles, waving back and pointing up the road to Praline Woods.

"Thanks!" Akari called out, taking the right turn at the fork. Even without his gesturing, Akari knew that if the person she was searching out hadn't been in the shop, then he was most assuredly in the forest, practicing his technique. She could already hear the loud hacking of wood and her heart gave a skip.

_'Calm down Akari.'_ she scolded herself. _'You're just here to get some more wood for the farm. For the FARM.'_

Gripping her axe tighter and willing the heat that rose to her cheeks to vanish, Akari stepping in view of a young man expertly swing an axe at a large tree.

He was tall. A young man built lean and muscular with sharp angles. Muscles could be seen tightning on exposed arms. A tight white beater shirt under an open rust vest revealed toned stomach and chest. Silver blue hair spiked from beneath a flaming bandanna, almost covering a side of his face. His eyes, Akari's favorite feature, a shimmering cat-like amber, were focused on the task at hand. With a bandage strip across his nose and mouth set stubbornly, Akari decided to keep her distance, if only to watch his face longer.

She could see the indention in the tree and seeing the man's face twist in anticipation, she knew the end wasn't too far off.

"Alright!" He shouted with a final swing, digging the head of the axe deep into the wood. There was a creak and a moan. The two watched with bated breath as the tree swayed before leaning.

Cupping a hand around her mouth, "Timber!" Akari shouted out. A loud earth-splitting bang was heard at the tree made contact with the ground. Akari wobbled in place.

"Nice job Luke!" She yelled once she was steady. Amber flashed at her.

"Akari!" She laughed as he sped to her, grasping her waist into a bear hug and lifting her off her feet.

"Hey Akari! Did you see? Did you see how awesome that was?" Luke was like a kid when it came to cutting down trees. He was good at it and he didn't need anyone to tell him otherwise. Akari shook her head at him.

"Why do I even bother trying?" She laughed as he put her down. "I should just have you cut all my lumber for me."

Luke flashed a large smile at her. "But then you'd never get better and we wouldn't be able to have a tree chopping contest!"

"Don't you have Bo?"

A slight pout formed on the young man's face. "He's too slow."

Akari raised an eyebrow at him. "Maybe you're just too fast." She stooped to pick some herbs from the ground.

"I know. I'm awesome like that."

Giggling, the brunette glanced at him over her shoulder. "I didn't say all that. Actually, I wasn't even complimenting you."

Luke joined her in foraging, white teeth flashing. "It's okay to be jealous Akari. You know I understand."

"Goddess! Have you always been this vain?"

Another smile. "No. Just awesome."

The two erupted into laughter. Akari loved this the most about Luke. He was such an easy-going guy who's favorite thing in the world was to laugh. Nothing kept Luke down for long. Wherever he went, he went with a smile. Whatever he did, he did it beaming. He was like the sun, still shining through the clouds. Even though there were rainy days, there was always the promise of tomorrow creeping right behind. Even when Akari had been at her lowest, Luke had been there, helping with just the smile he always wore. It made the first month of reviving the farm bearable and whenever she would be on the point of death by malnutrition, Luke would show up and drag her to the Sundae Inn for lunch.

Akari had finished gathering herbs when Luke turned to her. "Hey, wanna come with me to deliver some tables to the general store? We can stop for lunch on the way back!"

Though slightly embarrassed to admit it, Akari _was_ feeling hungry from forgetting to eat breakfast. It also didn't help that Luke had seemed to discover that the way to her heart was through food. He merely but had to mention food and she would be geared up for whatever sort of mischeif he wanted her to take part in.

"Fine. But you're paying." She haughtily replied. He barked a laugh. He always paid.

"Race ya to the shop!"

"I'm not running with an axe Luke."

"So just put it down here. No one will take it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Just stick it somewhere. No worries!" Having said that, he flung his into a tree nearby.

Akari hesitated, but at Luke's insistance she pulled up the axe and was about to swing when Luke shouted.

"No! Not like that! You might hurt somebody!" He ran over to her. Akari glared at him.

"You could hurt someone no matter which way you throw one!" She retorted. Luke seemed to pause in thought before grinning sheepishly. "Heh. Okay. That may be right."

"That is right." she countered triumphantly. Luke scratched his head, grinning.

"So how about that race?"

Akari set her axe at the base of the tree where Lukes resided and then dusted her hands off on her shorts. "Okay." I'm ready."

Luke rubbed Akari's head, ignoring her protests before sticking his tongue out and racing off.

"LUKE!" Akari took off after a moment. "NO FAIR!"

Howling in elation, Luke looked back at Akari. She noticed how easily running came to him with envy. "All's fair in love and war!"

Akari blushed. "This isn't either of those Luke!" She managed to squeak out.

Another instant where Luke had to pause to think of the fact. "True... But it doesn't change a thing! Scrawny legs like yours can't beat me!"

"Wha-? SCRAWNY!"

"Yeah! Scrawny!"

Akari felt the words roared in her ears. _'I'LL SHOW YOU SCRAWNY!'_

Though it was true that she had never been anything like a marathon runner, it didn't mean that Akari couldn't be speedy. Luke may have been fast but he was underestimating her and wasn't trying. She would use that to her advantage. When he turned his face forward again, Akari threw every ounce of energy into her legs. They pumped harder, her feet pounding the ground. She could see the back of his flyaway hair as it waved in the air getting closer and she shut her eyes and pushed herself harder.

Sweat poured down her face and her lungs began to protest against the excercise but Akari was determined to beat Luke.

Opening her eyes, she was happy to see that she could reach out and touch the back of Lukes shirt. And that was exactly what she did.

Grabbing a fistful of the vest, Akari tugged roughly. Golden eyes wide with shock, he let out a yelp as he skidded to the ground.

"HAHA! Take that!" She sneered, jumping over him and bounding forward to claim victory.

"AKAAAAARIII!"

The farmer giggled into her hand when she burst through the carpentry's front door in a rush, Luke's whine echoing.

Dale, Luke's father and mentor to both him and Bo, looked up from where he and the freckled fifteen-year old were sanding chairs.

"Mornin' to you too Akari." Dale spoke out gruffly. He was a big man, muscular with big belly and all. His long hair, that he kept tied back, was a darker shade than Luke's. He was fair though he was known to be hard on Luke. He tried not to show his softer side too often.

He stroked his bushy mustache as Akari gave a cheesy wave and sidestepped from the door just in time for his tornado of a son to blast through.

"Akari! That was cheating!" Luke scanned the room, eyes shifting down in confusion as he wondered where the girl was. Incredulous, Akari had to stifle a laugh from her spot behind him. Apparantly Luke hadn't noticed her position by the door from running in too fast. Bo smacked a hand to his forehead and Dale just sighed and shook his head.

Akari tiptoed to Luke's back. "BOO!" She screamed, leaping up onto him. The blue-haired carpenter jumped and yelled as he tried to balance the two of them. This proved unsuccessful as the two went tumbling to the ground.

A few squeaks of laughter broke away from Bo. Luke and Akari joined in. Dale grumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Kids." and went into the back room.

"I didn't even see you." Luke confessed.

Akari stuck her tongue out at him. "Because I'm awesome like that." She responded in a poor imitation of his voice.

Bo chuckled quietly. "She sounded just like you Luke."

"No way!" Luke looked at the boy. "I sound way cooler than that."

"Was he always this vain?" Akari asked Luke's fellow carpenter.

Bo shook his head. "He's just showing off in front of you."

"Hey!"

Akari cast a conspiratorial glance at Luke. "Too bad it's not working."

"_Hey!_"

"Did you know that he still has the proverbial security blanket?" Bo asked with a tortured face.

"Hey!"

"Security blanket?" Akari looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Hey come on!"

Bo's very blue eyes were gleaming. "His bandanna. He can't go anywhere without it and the only way he can sleep is if it's beside him."

Akari had to bite her lip when she looked at Luke's face. The man was glaring at Bo with crimson cheeks. The glint in his eyes seemed to be promising much punishment in the future but Bo ignored him spectacularly.

The awkward atmosphere was broken by Dale who had returned. He looked at the three and sighed. "Luke, take them tables to Barbara and Simon before you into trouble."

"Yeah pops." Luke stood up and went to grab the mentioned items. Dale turned to his younger apprentice, fighting the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"It isn't right to tease him about that in front of his friend boy."

When Akari first met Bo, she had honestly thought him to be a shy quiet type. In the time she had come to know them, she would realize that Bo was very much that type, except around his mentor and Luke. The boy had a mischeivous streak so long as it didn't interfere with his respondsibilities. Akari watched in wonder as Bo apologized to Dale and then to Luke when he returned hoisting two beautiful sand-wood tables in each hand.

Akari jumped to her feet. "Need help?" She asked, already reaching for one. Luke pulled them from her reach with a cheeky smile.

"Nah. Come on. Let's go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can eat."

Akari face brightened. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Dale and Bo watched the two leave.

"Wanna bet on which one admits it first?" Bo offered nonchalantly. Dale huffed and stepped back inside.

"Ten bucks on Akari."

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...

"Here you go guys!" Maya, the waitress at the Sundae Inn exclaimed happily. She put two plates down in front of her patrons. "Buckwheat noodles for Akari." The peppy blonde nearly dropped the bowl as she handed it to the farmer. "And Luke gets chicken and spinach soup!" She was careful this time and managed to only spill a little of the food on the tablecloth.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I'll clean it up!" She offered but Akari was quick to assure her that they didn't mind. Smiling, the waitress returned to the kitchen with a skip in her step while Akari and Luke traded sheepish looks.

"I always worry that one day she's going to trip and somehow a plate of something boiling hot is going to land on my head." Akari confided as she slurped up noodles. Luke laughed.

"I remember when Chase first came here to study under Yolanda." He chuckled. "She was trying to make him admit that she could be a cook too so she made some sorta casserole. Problem is that she wasn't supposed to use the oven and when she pulled it out of the oven, Chase walked in with Yolanda."

Akari groaned. "Don't tell me. She slipped."

Luke blinked at her. "How'd you know?"

"Uhhh good guess?" _'Honestly?'_ Akari thought. _'She trips over air! And she can't cook worth a damn so whatever she cooked must have been __**repulsive**__.'_

"You might be psychic!" Luke said, all excitement."Maybe you should try telling fortunes!"

The brunette fought the urge to slap her head with her palm. "Luke, just finish the story."

"Oh yeah!"

Luke was just finishing on recounting the story of how the questionable dish had wound up on Yolandas head, not Chase's, when Gill walked through the door with his father.

The portly mayor of Waffle Town was always all smiles, a contrast to his son who seemed to be perfectly stoic. He had white-blonde hair and an air of self-importance. He was a good guy but he hid it under so many layers of snobbery that no one really cared for his company.

While Mayor Hamilton conversed with Colleen and Jake, Gill chose a corner table to sit at alone where he could write in the book he constantly had on hand.

Luke saw this and called out to the man. "Hey Gilly!" Akari noticed that Luke was oblivious to the twitch in Gill's shoulders when he heard the horrid nickname. "Why all alone? Come join me and Akari!"

The mayors son lifted his platinum head with a scorching glare. Akari knew from expierience that Gill despised any nickname but Luke always seemed unaffected by Gill's return hostility.

"It is correctly spoken as 'Akari and I' you idiot." Gill's shot back with a tilt of his chin. "And I don't have any desire to intrude on your date with your _girlfriend_."

_'You jerk!'_ Akari's mind viciously voiced while her face exploded in heat. _'He didn't have to say that! I'm not the one calling him names!'_ Akari bowed her head in embarrassment, positive that everyone could see her flushed cheeks. She wasn't sure if anyone knew of her crush on Luke, but she certainly didn't want Luke finding out!

Speaking of Luke...

The boy just snickered. Akari's head shot up to watch Luke casually brush off the comment. "Come on Gilly. Akari's just a friend! She's a lot nicer than you though. She doesn't call her childhood friends idiots."

It hurt.

She knew it was irrational. Yet that didn't stop the feeling from creeping through her and twining itself around her stomach and chest. She knew that her feelings for Luke weren't reciprocated but to hear him so casually call her friend! To think nothing of someone referring to her as his girlfriend! It was as if he didn't even think about it in the slightest.

_'Of course he doesn't Akari! Think about how simple he is! He's not the kind of guy who reads into things. He only knows what he knows and what he sees. You can't just expect him to know the feelings that you're keeping inside.'_

It still hurt.

Akari didn't hear the rest of the conversation. She pushed back from her chair, using her bangs and bowed head to hide her eyes. Luke was as readable as a book when you looked into his eyes and Akari wasn't too different.

"Sorry. But I gotta be getting back to the farm. Can't leave the chickens alone you know?"

Luke got up too. Peeking from her lashes, Akari noticed the concern in his expression.

"You okay Akari?"

She bit her lip. "Yeah. I just remembered some work I need to do back on the farm, that's all."

Luke scratched the back of his head. "Oh okay. I should be getting back to the shop too. Pops wanted to start work on that new bedframe for Hanna and Cain."

Akari tried to put a smile on, praying that her hurt didn't show on her face. "Yeah. I'll see you later."

She was caught off guard when Luke swooped in and gave her a crushing (possibly snapping), hug before quickly letting go and running off with a, "See ya later!"

Akari stood shock-still, fighting to keep hold of the wonderful feeling she'd grasped when his arms had encompassed her. For a moment she stared out into space, flushed and starry-eyed before Colleen walked up to her and softly told her that Luke hadn't paid for the meal yet.

The farmer looked at the woman with a blank eye before suddenly growing frighteningly red.

"THAT JERK!"

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...

Akari threw herself onto her bed that night in shame. Not only had she used up some of the limited amount of money she had to pay for the meal _Luke_ had promised to pay for, she had left her axe in Praline Woods and, possibly worst of all, she had let her emotions get in the way! She wasn't supposed to be concentrating on love or dating. She was here to raise a farm. It was far too soon to be thinking of romances. Now she had let a perfectly nice day out with a _friend_ come to a rampaging stop because she hadn't been strong enough to reign her feelings in.

"UGH! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" She threw her stuffed sheep at the pale wall. Burying her head into her pillow Akari made a vow.

_'I'm not going to hope for things to happen with Luke. I'm going to work and focus on making a living for myself here. No dating or thinking about things like that!'_

But as Akari was soon to find out, your mind may say one thing, but when it comes to matters of love, the heart has it's own plans.

_**...**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

_**To be continued...**_

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SOOOOOOO? Whaddya think people? I'm actually writing a Harvest Moon fanfiction for Tree of Tranquility! Yaaaay! This will also mark the first chapter fic that ChibiRaccoon is submitting to the internet and I'm really excited about this! I would really REALLY love to hear what everyone has to say about this because I'm terribly nervous. Tell me if you think Luke may have been a bit off. He's my favorite Harvest Moon character and I just couldn't help myself. I'm thinking of putting mention of other Harvest Moon characters in here, like Vaughn, Grey, or Kurt (drool, drool) but who knows? (I won't put Claire in since I hate her. GREYxMARY FOREVER!) Also, sorry if I rushed the ending. I was just so ready to post this. Oh and before I forget, SAMURAIJEDI! YOU BETTER NOT BE READING THIS! And my computer is being lame so no spellcheck. SORRY!

(anyone wanna beta for me? Lemme know!)

Anyways, please read and review and we'll meet again in Chapter 2!

-ChibiRaccoon


	2. Not as Easy as she Thought

Title: Awkward Grace

Pairing(s): Akari/Luke, All other Canon pairings for Tree of Tranquility (Sorry Selena!)

Genre: Romance/General

Status: Chapter Fic~ IN-PROGRESS

Rating: T+ (subject to change)

Author: ChibiRaccoon

Summary: Falling in Love with your Best Friend is never Easy.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or any of Harvest Moon belong to me. That's Natsume's property. But if they did belong to me, Luke, Gray, Vaughn, and Kurt would all be tied up in my room as my slaves. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

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_~AWKWARD GRACE~_

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* * *

_

_Chapter 2: Not As Easy As She Thought_

"Awww... Come on!"

"No."

"Pleeeeaaase?"

"Lemme think."

"Really?"

"No."

"But you gotta say yes!"

"And your reasoning for that _is_?

"Oh come on! Who's my bestest buddy in the whole wide Waffle Town?"

"Owen."

"What? No! I mean yes! I mean-... Wait. Don't laugh."

"Sorry. That was fun."

"AKAAAAAAAAAAARIIIIIIIIIII! PLEEEEEEEAAASE!"

"No."

"I'll use the look!"

"You wouldn't dare..."

"I would too! Look!"

"Oh fine! Geez! No fair. Using the puppy dog look..."

"YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS! THAAAAANK YOOOU!"

Akari scowled at her best friend as he bounced up with a cheer. The young carpenter couldn't stop his excitement from bursting out and Akari had to admit that it was even contagious when you were around him long enough.

She was excited as well, although probably not nearly as much as Luke. Her joy was filled with an inner sorrow.

Luke was really looking forward to the upcoming celebration known as Summer Fest. It was a holiday smack dab in the middle of Summer, complete with sweltering heat and mosquitos. It was held at the beach and featured half a dozen races and competitions that included swimming, sand-castle building, watermelon eating, and various others. The quirk to it was that you were required to have a partner. The partner assisted in the competitions and the winners were usually the team that had the best teamwork.

Akari wasn't sure what kind of team Luke and her would make but she figured it could be fun. The only problem was the increasing pressure she felt in the pit of her stomach. It was hard to keep her feelings for Luke buried and neutral when he was always popping up, overly happy and hugging her six times a day. Not much had really changed. She still spent every moment with him, laughing, playing, and silently wishing.

_'Dammit. I'm not giving in!'_ She thought fiercely. When she had promised herself that she wouldn't look for a relationship for Luke, she meant it. She knew she couldn't just dismiss her feelings but she would not let them control her decisions and behavior. They could be present as the dim aches in her heart but nothing more.

Luke, ever unobservant, was loudly proclaiming in the workshop where he and his father and Bo were working before Akari had shown up about how he was going to beat Owen for sure this year. Bo tried half-heartedly to shush him a bit but as expected, the blue-haired young man took no notice. As for Akari, her eyes were glued to Dale's mustache. Already she could see the tell-tale signs of Dale's temper in the twitches at the corners of his mouth. Ever so discreetly she tried to inch to the door.

Luke just chattered on, flexing, shadow-boxing, and gradually gaining volume and vigor. Akari caught Bo sneaking away from his position beside Luke.

Dale's eyebrows came down.

_'Uh-oh...'_ Akari grimaced.

"LUUUKE! DAMMIT! ENOUGH!"

Akari, Bo, and Luke all clapped their hands to their ears at Dale's bellow. Luke had actually fallen over.

_'Jeez.'_ Akari winced with pain. _'I see why Lukes so loud. No way could his mom have had lungs like that.'_

Luke adjusted his bandanna and looked up at his fuming father, confused. "Hey Pops. What's up?

_'Oh good goddess.'_ Akari face-palmed at the same time that Dale groaned.

"Luke," he barked. "Outside."

"But Pops-"

"Outside."

"But-"

"Outside Luke!"

"Yeah but-"

"OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW LUKE!" He finally scampered.

All three teenagers jumped up in fright and scampered out the front door in a flurry, tangling in the doorway, screeching.

"Luke! MOVE!"

"It's Bo's fault!"

"Wha-? Don't blame_ me_ Luke!"

Somehow they managed to pop out just as Dale slammed the door shut on them.

Luke rubbed his knee as he got up from the ground and dusted his torn jeans. He offered Akari a hand up. Bo whimpered when he saw a shallow cut on his arm from tumbling down the stairs.

The carpenters son rolled his eyes at the shop before turning to look at his friends. He was met with a pair of glares.

"Uh...Hi?"

Bo simply shook his head before heading to the wood pile and grabbing an axe. He left for praline woods, grumbling words beneath his breath, freckled cheeks flushed in annoyance.

Luke turned a sheepish grin to his best friend.

Akari met him with her arms folded, her hair in slight disarray from their tumble. Luke secretly liked it when her hair was like that. He remembered showing up at her farm once really early. She had answered the door in harvest sprite printed tank top and shorts and a haystack for a hairstyle. He had commented on it to a sleepy Akari and she had squeaked and shut the door on his nose (adding another three weeks of nose bandages in supply) so she could brush her hair.

He liked it when Akari didn't worry about her appearence. Usually she was rolling through leaves and climbing trees with him. By the end of the day they were covered in dirt, sap, and everything else from the forest. And she would always smile at him and laugh about how fun it was whenever she got back to the farm.

"Luke." Akari called, breaking through his thinking.

"Huh?" He stared at her.

Akari sighed. "You know Luke, you really should think about toning it down around your dad."

"Awww why?"

_'WHY DOES HE ALWAYS HAVE TO POUT WITH SUCH A CUTE FACE?'_ Her mind screamed._ 'IT'S PRACTICALLY CRIMINAL!'_

"Because your dad gets upset." She managed to choke out, avoiding the full power behind his eyes.

He startled her by laughing. "Ah it's okay 'Kari! Dad still loves me!"

"Surprisingly." She muttered darkly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing! Nothing!"

Luke cocked his head to her. Akari kept the blush from her face with great difficulty. She turned away from him.

Deciding that maybe she was suffering from an overabundance of Luke, Akari made to leave with the excuse of farmwork.

"Well, try not to get into anymore trouble!" She called out from down the path to Caramel River District.

It was late afternoon and she was a bit annoyed to notice in the distance that her cows had wandered to another pasture closer to town. How did they remember to get down the cliff? Last time she'd found them wandering, they had only gotten as far as the edge of the small cliff that her pasture resided on.

Crickets played lullabys. Frogs croaked greetings. Akari scraped her worn boots against the dusty makeshift road. Only the town itself had streets made of beautiful brick and stone cemented in a pattern that often reminded her of the cherry blossoms of spring.

She yawned. It wouldn't take long to round up her two cows and five prissy hens into the barn and coop. Though she did remind herself with chagrin that she had been neglecting cutting the grass. Fodder was expensive for her and her meager profits. It was easier to just cut her own until she got ahold of more animals.

Akari as practically to her wandering cows when she realized she heard footsteps behind her. She spun to see Luke hurrying towards her.

"Luke?" She asked. "Why are you following me?"

A big grin flitted onto his face. "To help out!" He told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And to him it probably was. "I'm bored!"

"Luke go home." She tiredly replied.

"But I wanna help." He pouted.

_'But I left to give myself a break from you!'_ She mentally countered. She shook her head at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow Luke." She responded mildly. She was met with silence.

She looked at him. "Luke?"

The handsome young man was standing there, in the light of the evening sun with his bowed down and his hands at his sides limply. He was quiet, uncharacteristically so, with no sign of his usual cheer.

Akari's eyes were glued to him in shock. Her lips quivered as she tried to call his name again.

She gasped when his cat-like pupils rose to her. They were sad. The shimmer that defined Luke's upbeat personality was absent, replaced by a dull gold. His mouth was set in a frown and his whole outward appearence seemed to darken. But what bothered Akari the most were the shadows on his face The sun was at his back, gilding him with a sunburst aura, but it put a shadown on his face that Akari didn't like seeing. Half his face was hidden and it made her feel as if there was a part of him that she couldn't see. Couldn't reach.

It made her feel somewhat small.

"Do you.." She flinched. His voice was an uncertain waver, much like a childs. She had never heard Luke sound like _that_. "Do you really want me to go?" He asked miserably. "Did I make you mad Akari?"

The brunette farmer felt the pangs of hurt that rocked her to her core. Hurt over Luke's present disposition. Hurt for herself because of the guilt she felt for being so insensitive to him. Hurt for her heart itself because now mor than ever she wanted to act on the feelings she had hidden inside. So strongly she wanted to reach to him. To take him into her arms. To feel his body against hers. The feel of his skin beneath her hands. To take in the scent of sawdust and varnish that clung to him like a perfume. To feel calloused hands clad in fingerless gloves take her face and gently tug her face to his. She'd feel his breath against her lips before he'd ever so slightly press them together with his own. And then they'd-

_'WHAT AM I THINKING AT A TIME LIKE THIS?'_ She screeched to herself. She knew Luke probably thought her mental; undoubtly she was making some strange faces. But she was in an uproar. Who told her mind to go off in _that_ direction?

_'No more of that!' _She demanded mentally. _'I mean it!'_

She bit her lip in shame and glanced at Luke. He was watching her with a worried look, his brows scrunched. She felt so bad. She was distressing him with her silence.

Luke was an innocent guy. Inside and out. He saw the good in people no matter how harsh they may be. He even considered Gill, the town snob, as a friend and even the haughty exotic dancer Selena was fond of him.

Luke thought of everyone as his friend. Akari didn't think she was much different from the rest. No matter how much she liked him, Luke wouldn't reciproate. He was happy with the way things were. Akari wasn't willing to break the status quo by saying anything and ruining their friendship.

Because if she did tell him and he rejected her, Luke would never be able to get over it. He'd feel bad about it and it would make hanging out together hard on both parties. Akari didn't want that.

She did have to admit though that it was getting increasingly harder to force down emotions that with each passing day, they continued to grow ever stronger.

_'Figures I'd have to leave the city and move into some way off island to find a guy I actually want to be with.'_

She was able to keep down the blush this time but as her mind reminded her it probably wouldn't matter. Luke was sure not to notice.

Instead she deadbolted the door on her heart and _feelings_, and offered Luke a benign smile, startling him.

"Don't be silly Luke." She laughed, sticking out her tongue. "How could I ever get mad at you? You're too much of a marshmallow."

Luke blinked at her, signs of his usual cluelessness returning.

"Oh right. Drat." Akari threw her hands up. "You have to be the only hyper guy I've ever met who actually likes healthy food. Well, except for mayonnaise." She added with disgust.

"Hey!" He shot back defensively, almost out of habit. "Mayonnaise is plenty healthy!"

"Not the way you eat it." She argued.

Luke's mouth clapped shut and Akari fought the giggle in her throat. She knew he was trying his hardest to think of a comeback. Normally she would have waited him out but she found his speechlessness too hilarious to take pity on him.

"Ain't got anything against me, do ya?" She questioned smugly. He grinned in response.

"You just got lucky." He told her.

She laughed. He liked hearing it.

They bickered and teased each other mercilessly as they rounded up her animals. They didn't stop until Akari made it to her front door to pick up her tools. She was about to go inside when a hand on her wrist made her look back.

"I'll see you later okay?" Luke told her kindly wearing an expression Akari couldn't figure out.

"I-I thought you wanted to help." She reminded him breathlessly.

Luke shrugged. "I did help." He chuckled when he heard her mutter, "Smartass."

"So see ya later?"

"Yeah. See ya Luke."

And so, as he'd done everyday for the last couple of months, Luke gave Akari his signature bone-crushing, mildly suffocating, bear hugs before letting go in the breath of a second and bolting.

She watched him run up the ridge that led home, saw him trip, and laughed as he scrambled up and out of sight.

* * *

When Luke made it home that evening, he noticed that no one was home. He figured his father was probably out with Ramsey or drinking at the bar and talking to Hayden. Bo was most likely at the library. Luke didn't have the patience for books. He had to have his hands occupied.

He was working on a lovely ebony dresser that his dad had wanted to finish tomorrow. Luke figured he could make up for upsetting his dad by doing some extra work.

An hour or so later Dale walked through the door. He grumbled to himself when he entered the workshop.

Luke had finished the dresser. He had started work on what looked like bookshelves. At the moment he was sleeping at the workbench, hand curled around a screwdriver and drool pooling over the wood. His hair was unkempt and flowing freely from the bandanna he'd jammed into a back pocket.

Rare moments like these hardly existed for Dale anymore. Luke had grown up into an interesting young man and though he was somewhat hard on him, Dale was proud of his son. There were times when he missed the little boy that Luke had once been.

He didn"t want to bother trying to carry Luke. The boy was a kicker when he was asleep. Best to wake him up.

"Luke. Wake up. You're ruining the wood boy."

It took almost ten minutes of shaking and talking, which quickly became yelling, before Luke's head popped up.

"Whuzza?" He yawned.

Dale gazed at his son sternly. "What are you doing? I told you before that it's dangerous to sleep in the shop."

"Huh? Oh." Luke looked around him. "I forgot."

"A bit early for sleeping isn't it?"

"What time is it?"

"7:30. I have to admit I'm surprised boy."

Luke blinked up at his father while trying to wipe the saliva from his cheek. "Why?"

"I thought you were with that girl Akari." Dale answered leaving to go to his room. Luke followed him.

"I was with her."

"I don't usually expect you home until about 9 at the earliest. You usually spend more time with her."

"I know."

Dale glanced at him. "Did you upset the poor girl?" He asked slowly.

Luke's head shot up indignantly. His brows furrowed and his mouth formed a perfect 'o'. He stared at his father. "What? No way! Why would you say that?"

Dale grunted, smoothing his mustache thoughtfully. "If you say so son. I'm just surprised. Like I said, you haven't been home by 7 since you and that girl got joined at the hip."

"Joined at the hip?"

"An expression boy. It means you're always together."

"Oh."

The master carpenter decided that he would just stop trying to use analogies altogether when he was talking to Luke. The boy wasn't an idiot, but he wasn't the brightest thing in town either.

He watched as his son turned to get back to the shop and to the shelves he'd been working on. The boy had been carving a design onto the front side with careful precision. He had talent. There was no doubt about that. He could be rushing, pulling his hair out of his skull, or half-asleep, it never affected his craftmanship. He was truly good at what he did. A genius.

Dale just found it slightly ironic that his son was so clueless to everything else.

"Hey Pops..."

"Hmm?" The older man looked up from his musing. He hadn't noticed that Luke had still been standing there or that he had been looking at his father for some time.

"Do...Do I really spend a lot of time with Akari?"

Dales couldn't stop himself from raising his eyebrows but he was able to keep himself from smiling knowingly by covering his mustache with his hand. He coughed, clearing his throat.

"Yes." He told him simply. Simple was usually the best way to go with Luke.

He left his son to his thinking, noticing that an unusual expression of concentration had come over Luke. Dale already could see the signs. Already had a clue. But it was up to Luke to figure out for himself. To put the pieces together himself. He only hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Akari was all set up for bed with her favorite pajamas (green ostrich-print button up and shorts) and her stuffed sheep doll, Neggi. She had the tv set to the wildlife program she'd grown obsessed over. She already had decided she wanted a raccoon. A panda too! The show featured the blacksmith's granddaughter, Chloe, who was an energetic host and had a gift for capturing animals on video. Akari loved watching nature shows, even more so than cooking shows.

She was snug under the covers, lights out, tv going on about the habitats of penguins when she first thought she heard something. She muted the television, thinking perhaps that her animals were chatting in the night.

She heard nothing.

Akari looked around her small home in fear. She knew it was possible that she merely had just imagined it. The light of the tv set cast all manner of shadows across the room, doing nothing to assuage her consience.

She returned to watching her show, clutching Neggi tighter.

Chloe was busy tripping over her feet with the camera when Akari heard it again. A quiet creak that managed to echo in the space. Akari shut the tv off completely and turned on her tableside lamp. She slowly got up.

There it was again! Another creak.

"Oh goddess..." Akari whimpered. "It's a burglar!"

She grabbed the closest tool she could find, in this case, it was her sickle. She grabbed it with both hands, palms sweaty against the aging wood.

The creaking sounded again, this time accompanied by a knock. Akari screamed as she looked to her right, at the window in the corner by the bath.

"I-is-is s-someone there?" She stuttered. Her teeth worried her lower lip and hazelnut eyes were fearful.

It was quiet before her window pane suddenly shot up.

"EEEEEEEEEE!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Akari's eyes popped wide. Luke breathed heavily, eyes bulging at the sight of the sickle embedded into the frame, scant inches from the top of his head. He gulped. Akari lowered her hands from her face. She hadn't even noticed when they'd gotten up there.

"A-are you alright?" She squeaked.

"Yeah, I think so." Luke answered, eyes still glued to the weapon. "Just...sorta surprised that my bandanna didn't run for cover."

"I am _so_ sorry."

Luke chuckled nervously. "Anyone ever tell you that you're terrifying?"

"Luke!" She puffed out her cheeks. "Why are you here? In my house? At 10 o clock in the night?"

He gave her a cheeky grin. "Because I'm awesome like that!"

"LUKE!"

She watched in awe as he laughed and launched the rest of himself through the window. He stepped in with dusty boots. Akari couldn't help but stare.

Luke was wearing a navy blue muscle shirt that left _nothing_ to the imagination as far as his chest and stomach were concerned. Perhaps it was the abscense of his vest that made her think that he looked far muscular than she'd thought. He wore black pajama pants with flaming blue spirals on them. His bandanna was still present atop is head.

Akari _stared_.

For some reason, Luke found himself flushing. He wasn't used to such attention. He scratched the back of his head, pulling his bandanna off.

This did nothing to help Akari's predicament as his long hair tumbled down around his face. She felt her brain shut-down.

_'O-overload...'_

Her best friend watched her uncertaintly. "Uh...Akari?"

She felt herself snap out of it. "Uh..Yeah?"

The grin. "I know." Cat-like irises danced. "I'm just that hot."

"Oh shut-up." She grumbled, turning away from him.

She wanted to know why he was there. In her house. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!

_'It's like he doesn't realize how crazy it is for your best friend to come waltzing through your window at night like its no problem.' _She paused._ 'Then again, attacking your best friend with a sickle probably isn't all that sane either.'_

Akari suddenly realized she was in pajamas. Luke was in pajamas. It was past bedtime. Her mind pieced this all together.

"L-luke..." She gasped. He looked up from where he was watching Wildlife Friends on tv. He beamed at her.

"Akari! You gotta see this penguin on tv! It's HUGE!"

Akari took a breath in an attempt to calm herself, but all she could think about was how she should have worn her nicer, newer, more attractive pj's over the old, simple ones she'd thrown on.

"Luke, why are you here?" Even to herself, her voice sounded odd.

Her best friend apparantly didn't notice any of this. In fact, he gave her such a warm friendly smile that he obviously found nothing wrong with the situation.

Yet his answer was what snapped Akari's hold over her control.

"We're having a slumber party!"

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

I really really really really apologize for the wait everyone! This chapter would have been up much sooner but I realized that the chapter I wrote for this was not what I wanted so I scrapped the whole thing and wrote a completely new chapter! And it would have been up two days ago but I kept rewriting stuff. Personally I do like this chapter because with the next chapter is when the plot starts becoming a little more apparant. Plus I'm a little surprised (and disgruntled in a way) because I absolutely LOVE writing Luke's character. I honestly thought I'd enjoy Gray a little more. Haha.

Just to put out there btw: Both Elli and Gray make appearences in Harvest Moon Tree of Tranquility, therefore, I will have them in the story. But I've decided not to include other Harvest Moon characters except by mention. Just to forwarn: GRAY BELONGS TO MARY. So any mention from Gray will be about Mary. NOT CLAIRE. I got a request from someone for it and I felt bad when I informed them about how against that pairing I am.

Anyways THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! I cried when I saw the reviews and I cried even more when I noticed how many people had put this story on their author alerts list. I've never been good with making chapter fics so I was nervous when I put this up. But what authors say about reviews really is true. It inspires you to write for the readers and I appreciate all the support guys! Hope I don't dissapoint! We'll meet again for the next chapter!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

-ChibiRaccoon


	3. A little Friendly Advice

Title: Awkward Grace

Pairing(s): Akari/Luke, All other Canon pairings for Tree of Tranquility

Genre: Romance/General

Status: Chapter Fic~ IN-PROGRESS

Rating: T+ (subject to change)

Author: ChibiRaccoon

Summary: Falling in Love with your Best Friend is never Easy.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or any of Harvest Moon belong to me. That's Natsume's property. But I dream of owning Vaughn or Luke or Gray for at least an hour. ^_^

ALSO! PLEASE DON'T COMMENT ON THE TYPOS! I KNOW THEY'RE THERE! SPELLCHECK DECIDED TO RAPE THIS CHAPTER AND SO IF THERE ARE ANY TYPOS, BLAME MY COMPUTERS SPELLCHECK FOR BEING A PANSY!

* * *

_~AWKWARD GRACE~_

* * *

_Chapter 3: A Little Friendly Advice_

"Oh dear."

"What's she doing?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"She looks funny."

"Yeah..."

"Should we get her out?"

"Maybe that would be best..."

Kathy took a breath and waded into the water. Her cowboy boots splashed loudly and she heard Maya follow her in.

They didn't have far to go. The floating figure of Akari was belly-down with her limbs splayed out. She seemed to be glaring at the horizon, her nose just peeking above the water for air. From what Kathy had heard from Luna and Candace, she had been out there most of the day.

"A-Akari?"

A small grunt.

Maya caught up to them.

"Hi Akari! What'cha doing?" she chirped.

Akari lifted her face to them. Kathy winced. There were bags under the girls eyes and a look of utter weariness.

"What _happened?_"

The brown-haired girl flopped her face into the water. Kathy glanced at Maya who seemed blissfully unaware that something was wrong with their friend.

"I don't really think you should do that when you're in the shallow end Akari." Maya kneeled next to the girl, oblivious to the fact that she was now soaked from the waist down. She tapped Akari's head.

Kathy chuckled and shook her head. She wiped the sweat from her forhead. The weather was slightly humid today. It was warm but not overwhelmingly uncomfortable. The wind wasn't as strong as it'd been the last couple of weeks so there was no cool relief from the suns beams.

Tossing her long ponytail over her shoulder Kathy approached the theatrical farmer. Positioning herself in front of Akari's limp body, she rubbed her hands together and grabbed her friends hair in her hands.

She was prepared for the shriek that accompanied tugging the short strands. Maya giggled.

Kathy smirked down at Akari's furious features.

"Feeling better?" She asked sweetly.

Akari muttered under her breath. Kathy gave a little tug.

"What's the matter drama queen? Let ol' auntie Kat know what happened."

"You're an aunt Kathy?"

"Maya, get out of the water." Akari groaned. Maya complied with a puzzled look on her face.

Kathy let Akari go and the farmer stood up, dripping. Her shoulders were slumped and Kathy could tell that the girl probably hadn't been getting too much sleep.

Akari glanced at the blondes face before turning away. "Whaaaat?"

"What happened?" It was comforting to know that the barmaid was concerned but Akari hadn't been looking for companionship.

She sighed. "A slumber party happened." she muttered. Akari headed for the shore where Maya was waiting and shaking herself silly in an attempt to get dry. Kathy followed with her brows knit.

The brunette contemplated just dropping to the ground in an attempt to ease her suffering. She rethought her decision instantly. With the heat the way it was, it was likely the sand would smolder her face. She shuddered at the thought. Knowing that if she tried to find another place to pass out Kathy and Maya would only bug her, Akari headed home. She wasn't prepared for the two blondes that followed her in without even an invitation.

* * *

Kathy rubbed the towel through Akari's damp locks while Maya entertained herself with alternating between the television and listening to Akari's tale from where the three sat crowded on the bed.

"So Luke came by last night? Is that what you're telling me?"

Akari nodded. "Yep."

"Luke? The guy who thinks that cutting down trees qualifies for a sport?" Kathy blinked. "That Luke?"

Maya piped in. "Are there more than one Lukes? Because I thought the only Luke that lived on Waffle Island was the one that Akari's been in love with for months." She was dressed in pajamas like Akari. Kathy had deemed her clothes too wet and hung them out on the pasture fence to dry. She played with the sleeves, impressed with the toon cow design that adorned the majority of the large shirt.

"Ugh! Shut up Maya!" Akari buried her face into her pillow. The two girls laughed. Kathy rubbed her scalp roughly, attempting to dry it as much as she could. She didn't want anyone catching any colds.

"She is right."

"Are you two gonna let me finish my story?"

"Oh. Right. Go on." Kathy smiled.

_'I need to work on my choice of friends.'_ The farmer grumpily thought. _'First Luke who can't even tell that I'm a female most of the time. Now I got these two. One who sometimes fits the blonde stereotype too well and the other one who loves my torment.'_

She squeaked when a finger jabbed her sensitive side.

"Hey!"

Kathy pouted at her with an exaggerated glare. "What are you doing? Spacing out? Get back to the story!"

"Okay okay... harpy."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." grinned the brunette.

"Anyways, yeeeeah. Luke came by last night and pretty much decided he wanted to have a sleepover. And NO. I have absolutely no idea who put the idea into the idiots head. He came in through the window and-"

"Whoa whoa!" Kathy interrupted, waving her hands. "He came in through the window?"

"Like in the fairytales?" Maya asked, eyes bright. Akari flushed.

"W-well, he came through the window but I mean..he... uh..."

Kathy's face was one of pleasant surprise. "Maybe the boy is smarter than he looks."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shrugging, Kathy tossed the towel onto a dining chair and made her way to the kitchen. "I just mean, think about it for a minute Akari."

"I'm listening." She called, but when Kathy looked at her she noticed that both girls on the bed were absorbed in their own distractions; Maya with the tv set and Akari as she wrestled tangles through her comb.

The waitress decided to let them have their fun. She worked through the cheap white-washed cabinets, collecting drinking glasses and a large plate, noticing dark marks on the counters. Finding some buckwheat, she chopped it into several pieces, molding them into spheres, finally setting them on a tray to cook in the oven for a few minutes. While the snacks cooked, she went through the contents of Akari's aging pot to discover that the farmer had left plenty of blueberry's inside to make cocktails. With practiced ease, Kathy created three perfect blueberry cocktails into three glasses. She lamented the absence of true cocktail glasses but the drinks looked pretty regardless. She arranged the finished buckwheat cookies on the plate with a flair of artistic taste.

She carried all this in one hand to the bed where the girls instantly abandoned their previous activity to gorge on the food.

"These are delicious Kathy!" Maya piped with great mirth. She bit down on several cookes at once. "But I could have helped you cook! I love cooking!" Her blue eyes were drawn back to the cookies. She luckily missed the pale look painted on her fellow waitresses face. Akari sipped her cocktail with a peal of laughter.

"I get the slumber party from hell last night and now we're drinking alchohol before 3." She smirked at Kathy. "What's got everyone in such a partying mood?"

The blonde smirked back. "Well, I figured a little alchohol could loosen your tongue a bit miss shyness." She ignored the squawk of protest. "As for the carpenter prince, I think maybe we're overlooking something when it comes to him."

The statement caught Akari off guard. "What are talking about?" She asked. Kathy had a knowing grin on her face that irked Akari a bit. "Tell me Kat. What do you mean?"

"Nope. First finish the story of last night."

"Yeah." Maya spoke through a mouthful of cookie. "Why was it the slumber party of hell?"

A hand slid down Akari's face. She really didn't want to remember.

"Okay, seriously. No more interruptions then. So he came in through the window. YES MAYA. LIKE A FAIRY TALE." The brunette cut her off before she could even utter a word. "Anyways, he just shows up, in his pajamas even! And just out of nowhere decides that he's sleeping over!" Akari shook her head. "Think about how I felt all night!" she confessed. "The man of my dreams... in-in pajamas. In my HOUSE. He just.. just made himself right at home." Kathy was completely drawn into the story while Maya chewed silently beside her. Both pairs of eyes watched Akari's ranged emotions. From blushing embarrassment to indignant, back to blushing. She was doing a good deal of arm waving as well.

"First, he decides he's sleeping in my bed."

"No way!" her audience crows, eyes popping. Akari nodded miserably.

"Yes! So he makes himself all comfy and starts watching tv."

Maya leaned forward, almost fearfully. "What did you _do_?"

Cheeks reddened. "Well I... I wasn't just going to go sit on the bed with him! But he got all demanding saying that if we were gonna watch tv together that I had to get on the bed."

"Why'd he do that?" Maya asked. Kathy shushed her forcefully.

"Go on 'Kari."

"Soooo...um.. yeah. I went ahead and joined him. But I was at the head of the bed while he sat at the end! We watched two late night shows before he decided that it would be a good idea to do some late night baking."

"Late night_ baking_?" It was Kathy who interrupted that time and she quelled under her friends hard look.

"Yes! Late night baking!" Akari huffed, impatient. "He goes into the kitchen, with may I add, too much enthusiasm, and starts criticizing my selection of food. Apparantly I'm not healthy enough for him because I had no spinach or mayonnaise in the fridge!"

"Mayonnaise isn't that healthy but its sooo good!"

"Shut-up Maya."

"Aww. Don't be mean."

"Then stop interrupting!"

"Okay..."

"The idiot gets it into his head that he can experiment with herbs, spicy peppers, oranges, and carrots!"

Kathy shuddered. "Gross!"

"Actually... that sounds interesting..." was Maya's thoughtful reply.

Akari and Kathy only shared a disgusted expression. The farmer threw her hands up. "You know what? I'll just give you guys the edited version. Luke slept over. Decided to cook. Nearly burnt the house down. We both smelled like smoke. He ended up taking off his shirt. It drove me insane." She paused, remembering. What a sight it had been... Taut muscles the color cream. He was lean but with his shirt off she had been shocked to realize that not a single section of skin had been flat. It was all muscle and it had been very hard for Akari to keep the idea of what he could do to her with those muscles from overtaking her mind.

Kathy laughed. It broke her from her reverie and she resumed her tale. "And then we went to bed. YES MAYA. The same bed. He refused to sleep on the floor and couch. Spouted some nonsense about friends doing things like that all the time. So we go to sleep and the whole night is filled with me trying not to think any Luke-related thoughts but it becomes impossible because the idiot grabs me and crushed my ribcage for over six hours!" The storyteller panted. "Then guess who wakes up as if nothing happened, does some morning stretches, hugs me with my extra sore body, and then leaves with the sunshine on his face! It sure wasn't me!"

The two girls watched the third breath heavily, her cheeks rosy and eyes staring down the gingham covers. She tried to hide from the two the feeling that she may be on the verge of crying. She had promised to lock her feelings away but so far it wasn't working. She couldn't help but think about Luke. Couldn't help but think about all the things she wanted. The last night had been torture. His face, relaxed in sleep, a mere few inches from her own, had been like heaven. Luke was a heavy sleeper who needed somehting pressed against him. She had gotten no sleep with her chest against his and their legs tangled together. It had been torture of the worst kind and Akari vowed to find whoever had put the idea of a slumber party in Luke's head and to not only thank them, but beat the living buckwheat out of them.

Kathy noticed the sadness on her friends face and her heart went out to the girl. Though she knew Akari wouldn't take her seriously if she told her that she had some expierience with a boy that didn't notice, she knew that Akari was having a more difficult time because of the friend label. It was one of the hardest titles to shed, especially when looking for the alternative of romance. She was with a great guy who saw her as his best friend and practically one of the guys. Luke just had no idea how much he hurt Akari with his words and actions. She had to spend the whole night wrapped in his embrace and struggling with the fact that he saw it on such a platonic level. It would drive any woman's brain to madness.

She also understood why Akari refused to confess. Confess too early and it could scare away Luke. Knowing Akari, if things went that way, she'd try to play it off as a joke, forever hiding her feelings away. Another route would be that Luke would not understood the full meaning behind her words. She could tell him she loved him and he might say the same back. As a friend. Akari was sure of her feelings already. But for an emotional rock like Luke, who was so set in his views, he was going to have to come to term with his feelings on his own. Kathy worried for them. If things kept going the way they were, it may ultimately lead to her confessing out of desperation.

She hoped it wouldn't go badly.

Patting the love-struck girl on the head, with Maya pouncing both of them into a hug, Kathy tried her best to reassure her.

* * *

"Ye' were out all night boy." Dale gruffed from the store counter. The sun was already shining through the windows, marking the time well past midday. His son was dressed in casual jeans and a plain white shirt. His hair was mussed under his trademark accessory.

Luke flashed his father a grin. "Yeah. I was having a slumber party."

He tilted his head to the clear confusion on the older mans features. "What?"

"A slumber party dad. You know, bugging the neighbor kind of thing. Laughing at stupid shows. Eating super-late. It was awesome."

Dale watched his son grab and apple from the basket by the register. He appeared to be fighting with himself.

"Luke... where exactly..."

Innocent amber eyes turned. "Yeah pops?"

Nevermind. Dale decided he didn't even want to know. "Nothing boy. Nothing."

Luke shrugged. He grabbed his axe and adjusted his headband as he walked out the front door whistling. Dale watched the door shut with incredulous eyes. How did that boy get so dumb?

* * *

The blue-haired youth practically marched down the familiar path, taking in the slight humidity. Dragonflies buzzed over the meadow. There were no birds today but he heard the distant noises of Akari's farm. There was a patch of PinkCat flowers by the road. They gave off a unique scent.

Luke tried to see the waterfall but the road didn't give a good view of the beautiful wonder. He was planning to have Akari go with him there today. There was a hot spring and monkeys to play with if offered some food. Or they would probably just try and see who could climb the biggest rock without falling.

He whistled to the cows in the pasture, earning no response. Thinking about the night before, he was debating on avoiding the window, just in case Akari had any tools in hand, when he heard voices inside.

_'Ah. Why not? She loves the window bit.'_ He mentally thought. Luke approached the window. The curtains were drawn so he couldn't see inside, but the window pane was open. Just as he'd left it that morning. His attention was drawn to what the voices inside were saying.

"I-I love you Akari!"

_'Who is that? Sounds like...'_

"Luke! Oh my gosh! I love you too!"

_'Maya and Kathy? What are they-'_

"WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING ME FEEL BETTER! NOT BEING RETARDED!"

Luke sniggered. He loved to get Akari riled up. It was just too easy.

"Oh come on 'Kari!" Maya giggled. "You want it to be true!"

_'Wait...what?'_

"Yeah Maya." That was Akari's sarcastic drawl. "I totally want you and Kat here hugging in my kitchen pretending to be me and Luke. I'm completely not supposed to find that disturbing huh?"

Luke felt his blood freeze when he heard Kathy sing out, "I'm pretty sure that when you guys confess your feelings, it'll be you doing most of the confessing."

_'Confess?'_

"Guys! I'm not confessing to Luke!"

"Why not?" Maya always had the ability to sound so childish at times.

"Because... because..." Akari was stuttering. Luke knew she only did that when she had to say something she didn't want to admit. "Because if I tell Luke that I'm in love with him, it'll ruin everything! I'm not ready to tell him."

"Oh..."

"Maya stop teasing her now. She has a point."

The smile that had been plastered to him was gone, replaced by a slack jaw and wide eyes. Not knowing what to say, or even what to do, Luke turned away from the house.

There was more said, that much Luke knew, but when Kathy and Maya left the house a few minutes later, Luke had already sprinted back up the ridge and out of the Caramel River District.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

DUN DUH DUUUUUUN!

Luke has heard the truth with his own ears! But don't think this story is close to ending!

I'm sorry for the long wait. I'm the kind of person who CANNOT write unless I have inspiration and so far, this has turned out to be one of the most eventful years of my life (some of it good. Some of it bad.). But I have plans for the next chapter so hopefully that will be out soon. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE FANS! I ADORE YOU SO MUCH!

Coming up Next!: Luke goes to his friends for advice while he tries to figure out how he feels. Meanwhile, SummerFest is well on it's way and Akari can't help but think that Luke's even more of a spaz when he starts acting like an idiot whenever they're together. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

P.S.: I promise that the fluff will come! Next chapter you're gonna all get a good load of it from (of course) LukexAkari and even some of my other favorite couples! ^_^ Sorry if this chapter was rushed!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

-ChibiRaccoon


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